We’re here to win the series, says Gatland
HAD New Zealand-born Welsh coach Warren Gatland been South African, with his kind of record against the southern hemisphere powerhouses he would have been seeking employment elsewhere.
Aside from last year’s successful British and Irish Lions tour to Australia, his record against South Africa, New Zealand and Australia is atrocious, with only a win against the latter at home to boast about in his seven-year tenure.
Gatland, though, said his young injury-hit team will make a game of both tests.
“We have come here to play rugby and build confidence and hopefully to win the series. We are not here just to make up the numbers,” Gatland said.
“On our last trip here in 2008 we were well beaten in the first test, but in the second we pushed the Boks but we were unlucky and we got a couple of rough calls. We were unlucky not to win in Australia two years ago after we squandered leads in the second and third tests.”
The 2-0 series defeat against South Africa in 2008 was the first blemish of Gatland’s career with Wales. It was a tussle that saw his forward pack bested by Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha. With a combined age of 71, the duo has increased the Boks’ average squad age to about 29. Gatland refused to call the Boks’ “Dad’s Army”, saying that their average age is the perfect one for teams that are aiming to win the World Cup.
“I wouldn’t mind having them in my team. I saw Bakkies in action for Toulon in the past few weeks and I think he’s done very well, especially with his team doing the European and domestic cup double. I think he is in great shape physically,” Gatland said.
“If you look back on the history of World Cups, their average age is the one where teams have traditionally won the World Cup. For Heyneke Meyer, those are players he knows personally and he has worked with over a long time. He decided to go back to those players whom he trusts and have delivered for him. It’s his prerogative to pick the players that he wants.”
Wales’s first assignment on Tuesday is a dirt-tracker outing against the Eastern Province Kings in Port Elizabeth with a unit that is set to be captained by bruising loose forward Dan Lydiate. Mercurial utility James Hook is also set to start, but key midfielders Jamie Roberts and Jonathan Davies are rested, possibly as starters for Saturday’s first test at King’s Park.